Q
What is the Cisco Firepower 7000 Series Appliance?
A
The Cisco Firepower 7000 Series is a high-performance next-generation firewall platform delivering up to 360 Gbps of threat inspection, advanced malware protection, and integrated intrusion prevention for data centers and service providers.
Q
What throughput performance can I expect from the Firepower 7000 Series?
A
The Firepower 7000 Series offers firewall throughput from 80 Gbps to 360 Gbps and threat inspection throughput up to 240 Gbps, depending on the selected model and licensing.
Q
Which interface modules are supported by the Firepower 7000 Series?
A
Supported modules include 10/25/40/100 GbE SFP+, QSFP+, and CFP2 optics. You can mix port types across slots for flexible connectivity.
Q
How does licensing work on Cisco Firepower 7000 Series?
A
Licenses are based on feature tiers (Threat, AMP, URL Filtering) and device throughput. You purchase a base throughput license and add security subscriptions to enable desired protections.
Q
What high-availability options does the Firepower 7000 Series offer?
A
The platform supports active/active and active/passive clustering with stateful failover, ensuring uninterrupted security inspection and load balancing across multiple appliances.
Q
Which deployment modes are supported by Firepower 7000 Series appliances?
A
Deployment modes include inline firewall, SPAN/TAP for passive monitoring, routed, transparent, and virtual inline, providing versatile integration into any network architecture.
Q
How is the Firepower 7000 Series managed?
A
Management is centralized through Cisco Firepower Management Center (FMC), offering policy management, event correlation, reporting, and automated workflows for consistent security enforcement.
Q
What advanced threat protection features are included?
A
The platform integrates intrusion prevention, Advanced Malware Protection (AMP), URL filtering, and sandboxing via Cisco Threat Grid for real-time threat detection and remediation.
Q
Can the Firepower 7000 Series handle IPsec VPN traffic?
A
Yes. It supports high-performance site-to-site and remote-access IPsec VPN with hardware acceleration for scalable encrypted traffic inspection.
Q
How does the Firepower 7000 Series integrate with other Cisco technologies?
A
It integrates with Cisco SD-WAN, ACI, DNA Center, and Cisco SecureX for unified policy orchestration, visibility, and automated threat response across your infrastructure.
Q
What are the hardware redundancy features?
A
Redundancy features include hot-swappable power supplies and fans, dual redundant fabric modules, and cross-slot link protection to maintain continuous operation.
Q
What distinguishes the Firepower 7000 Series from the 6000 Series?
A
The 7000 Series delivers up to 360 Gbps throughput, greater scaleable interface density, and enhanced hardware acceleration compared to the 6000 Series’ 100 Gbps max.
Q
How do I upgrade software on the Firepower 7000 Series?
A
Use Cisco FMC’s image management to schedule zero-downtime upgrades. FMC automates download, distribution, and deployment across clustered appliances.
Q
What environmental specifications should I plan for?
A
Each chassis occupies 5 RU, supports 100–240 VAC dual power inputs, operates at 0–40°C, and requires front-to-back airflow with standard 19″ rack mounting.
Q
What support and maintenance options are available?
A
Cisco Smart Net Total Care provides 24/7 hardware replacement, software updates, and TAC support. Optional upgrade services ensure continuous feature access.
Q
Which use cases are ideal for the Firepower 7000 Series?
A
Ideal for data center perimeter, service provider edge, cloud gateway, and high-performance segmentation scenarios requiring multi-gigabit threat inspection and policy enforcement.